Vacancy Tax Impact Calculator

Vacancy taxes penalize unoccupied properties in tight markets.

Property value

Vacancy tax %

Months vacant

Vacancy tax owed

$30,000

Annualized tax

$30,000

Monthly tax

$2,500

How the math works

Annual tax = value × rate. Monthly = annual / 12. Owed = monthly × months.

$1.5M × 2% = $30k annual / 12 = $2,500/month × 12 months = $30k vacancy tax owed.

How to Use

Enter property value.
Enter vacancy tax %.
Enter months vacant.
Read vacancy tax owed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Vacancy tax jurisdictions?

Vancouver BC: 1-3% of value for 180+ days vacant. Oakland, CA: up to $6k/unit for 180+ days vacant. DC: 5% premium on vacant commercial. San Francisco: 2% tax on vacant residential. Growing trend.

Vacancy tax cost?

Toronto: 1% of assessment. Vancouver: up to 3%. On $2M property: $20-60k/year tax. Cities vary but tax is material. Intended to force properties to market or be sold.

Mitigation?

Occupy property as primary residence. Rent it out. Accept vacancy tax as holding cost. Renovation exception (usually available 6-12 months). Some have hardship exceptions. Plan in underwriting if vacancy risk exists.

How does this affect my portfolio-level metrics?

Single-asset impact rarely matters in isolation for a portfolio of 20+ assets, but systematic patterns do. If the same issue shows up across 10% of your portfolio, the aggregate impact is meaningful. Track this metric at the portfolio level quarterly. Institutional operators aggregate these monthly into a KPI dashboard for investors and lenders.